SFC's 35th Anniversary, and on to the 40th | Tomohiro Ichinose, Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies
2025.02.04
It's hard to believe that a month has already passed since the start of 2025. The examination period ended on February 3, and students are now on their spring break. However, for faculty and staff, this marks the beginning of the general selection period—in other words, the entrance examination season. The number of applicants for the general selection was finalized at the end of last month, and as dean, I was relieved to see that it exceeded last year's number. However, the main event, which will require a great deal of tension, is approaching. My own time as an entrance exam candidate is a distant memory, but I never imagined how much work it is for those on the preparing side to ensure a smooth examination process for the applicants. In April 2025, the Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) will celebrate its 35th anniversary. In another five years, it will be the 40th anniversary. Several faculty members will be leaving SFC at the end of this academic year, and the number of faculty who were involved in the campus's founding is dwindling. Recently, we have been welcoming many new faculty members, and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies is currently recruiting for five faculty positions simultaneously.
The Faculty of Policy Management, the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, and the Graduate School of Media and Governance jointly manage their organizations. We are constantly discussing what kind of faculty we should hire and what kind of students we want to attract. The faculty we hire will determine the future direction of these two faculties and one graduate school, and the students who gather here and graduate (or complete their studies) will ultimately reflect on our reputation.
For the faculties, the future decline in the youth population is an urgent issue, just as it is for other universities. In 1990, when SFC was established, the 18-year-old population was approximately 2.01 million. It peaked two years later and has been declining sharply ever since. In fiscal year 2025, the 18-year-old population is about 1.09 million, which is nearly half of what it was at that time. It is projected to decrease to about 1.05 million by 2030 and to about 880,000 by 2040, the year of SFC's 50th anniversary.
The government is also discussing the future of university education and research, and we too must consider our curriculum and entrance examination systems. Our two faculties offer the GIGA Program , which allows students to earn all necessary credits in English only, and we have already been accepting international students. It will be necessary to expand this program. We were also the first in Japan to introduce AO (Admissions Office) entrance examinations, which we have been conducting alongside general selection. We also have various other entrance examinations, such as those for international students and returnee students, but the basic style has not changed since the beginning. SFC is the newest campus of Keio University, and there is still an atmosphere that new initiatives start at SFC. However, many of the things that SFC pioneered have now become commonplace. The environment surrounding us is changing dramatically, including the rapid advancement of generative AI. Students, faculty, and staff must work together to create the next new SFC, and we are waiting for new colleagues to join us in this endeavor.